Of Crab Cakes and Embarrassing Stories
by devoosha
Summary: On their third day together, Lance takes Keith to meet his best friend, Hunk, and Hunk's girlfriend, Shay. Keith is fed both delicious food and embarrassing stories about his new boyfriend. Part three of the Artist Keith and Grad Student Lance series - can stand alone, but reading "You Like My Cooking?" and "Mac and Cheese is Where It's At" will help put this in context.


**Of Crab Cakes and Embarrassing Stories**

 **[10:04] Lance:** So hi. This is my first text to you. I feel like it should be more epic than 'Hi'.

 **[10:04] Lance:** I hope it's not a bad time.

 **[10:05] Lance:** If it is, I won't bug you.

 **[10:10] Lance:** though I guess if it's a bad time you won't be able to tell me

 **[10:11] Lance:** if you have a chace to txt back Hunk wants to know when you get out of class

 **[10:11] Lance:** that amazing soul is now planning on a big roman style banquet for you I think

 **[10:15] Lance:** he can't wait to meet you 3

 **[10:17] Lance:** I can't wait for you to meet him

 **[10:17] Lance:** I'm a little nervous though

 **[10:18] Lance:** OMG I'm txting too much and ur gonna hate me

 **[10:18] Lance:** I'll be quiet now

 **[10:34] Lance:** seriously, though, I hope you like seafood

 **[10:34] Lance:** I think Hunk bought out the seafood section

 **[10:34] Lance:** Ur not allergic are you?

 **[10:37] Lance:** OMG I'm bugging again I'll stop

 **[10:48] Lance:** But srsly? Allergic? Hunk doesn't want to kill you

 **[10:48] Lance:** he is pretty worried about it

 **[10:48] Lance:** and he doesn't want to start cooking til he knows

 **[10:50] Lance:** shit, Shay is gonna be pissed if they have all this seafood and can't eat it

 **[10:50] Lance:** well as pissed as Shay can be, which isn't very

 **[10:50] Lance:** she is SUCH a cinnamon roll

 **[10:51] Lance:** but so is Hunk

 **[10:51] Lance:** I love cinnamon rolls. I haven't had one in like forever do you like them?

 **[10:53] Lance:** shit I promise to shut up now

 **[11:21]** _ **Keith:**_ _wow, 24 notifications in one hour? Is this what I have to look forward to from now on?_

 **[11:23] Lance:** ur first text to me is criticism?

 **[11:24]** _ **Keith:**_ _ur first texts to me are 24 texts mostly concerned about my allergies_

 **[11:28] Lance:** Hunk and I don't want you to die!

 **[11:35]** _ **Keith:**_ _don't worry, I love seafood and I won't die from it_

 **[11:36] Lance:** 3 3 3

 **[11:38]** _ **Keith:**_ _so I'll start over, ok? hi Lance_

 **[11:38] Lance:** that's better 3

 **[11:39]** _ **Keith:**_ _sorry I didn't respond right away I had class_

 **[11:42] Lance:** that's ok I figured that

 **[11:45] Lance:** I'm not this needy usually

 **[11:45] Lance:** I'm just trying to figure this out

 **[11:49]** _ **Keith:**_ _figure what out?_

 **[11:51] Lance:** this, us, this thing we have

 **[11:55]** _ **Keith:**_ _there's nothing to figure out. we like each other and we're dating now, right?_

 **[11:56] Lance:** YES

 **[11:56] Lance:** YESYESYESYESYESYESYES

 **[11:58]** _ **Keith:**_ _then is there a problem?_

 **[12:09]** _ **Keith:**_ _I see you've been typing for ten minutes, must be profound_

 **[12:13] Lance:** I keep erasing it

 **[12:13] Lance:** I don't wanna ask over txt

 **[12:13] Lance:** but I don't think I can ask in person

 **[12:14] Lance:** too nervous and shy

 **[12:16]** _ **Keith:**_ _you shy?_

 **[12:16] Lance:** very

 **[12:18]** _ **Keith:**_ _how cute_

 **[12:20] Lance:** I'm SERIOUS Keith

 **[12:22]** _ **Keith:**_ _I believe you_

 **[12:22]** _ **Keith:**_ _so ask_

 **[12:25] Lance:** ugh

 **[12:25] Lance:** so demanding

 **[12:25] Lance:** ok

 **[12:26] Lance:** it's just don't get mad ro anythign

 **[12:28]** _ **Keith:**_ _you're starting to worry me_

 **[12:32] Lance:** fine

 **[12:32] Lance:** are we boyfriends now?

 **[12:32] Lance:** or is it too soon?

 **[12:34] Lance:** and if it is that's ok

 **[12:34] Lance:** if you want to take it slow in that way too

 **[12:35] Lance:** I'm ok either way

 **[12:36] Lance:** just I really like you

 **[12:36] Lance:** and I want to be able to tell you that all the time

 **[12:37] Lance:** and tell you how much I like ur hair

 **[12:37] Lance:** and your eyes

 **[12:38] Lance:** and send you late nite txts about how much I like you

 **[12:43] Lance:** and ur not answering

 **[12:44]** _ **Keith:**_ _I was making sure you were done_

 **[12:45] Lance:** yeah

 **[12:47]** _ **Keith:**_ _I want to call you my boyfriend_

 **[12:47]** _ **Keith:**_ _and I want to tell you all those things too_

 **[12:48]** _ **Keith:**_ _except…_

 **[12:51] Lance:** oh fuck there's an except

 **[12:54]** _ **Keith:**_ _except I don't imagine you'd need to send late nite txts if you're with me all nite_

 **[12:55] Lance:** asldkjf;afj;lkj;alksdmf

 **[12:55] Lance:** keith omg wtf

 **[12:55] Lance:** ?

 **[12:56] Lance:** I'm screaming and Hunk's worried

 **[12:59]** _ **Keith:**_ _Well yeah after the tenth date I mean_

 **[13:00]** _ **Keith:**_ _and no screaming. Don't freak out Hunk._

 **[13:00]** _ **Keith:**_ _he's too good for that_

 **[13:02] Lance:** that is the truth

 **[13:05] Lance:** just caught me off guard

 **[13:05] Lance:** ur gonna be a handful

 **[13:08]** _ **Keith:**_ _true...you'll find that out on that tenth date too_

 **[13:15]** _ **Keith:**_ _still there sweetheart?_

 **[13:18] Lance:** it's Hunk. U broke Lance

 **[13:19] Lance:** and I have to say that was brilliant

 **[13:19] Lance:** well played

 **[13:21] Lance:** I'm gonna like you a lot

 **[13:24]** _ **Keith:**_ _haha_

 **[13:24]** _ **Keith:**_ _hey Hunk_

 **[13:25]** _ **Keith:**_ _looking forward to meeting u_

 **[13:28] Lance:** I am so looking forward to ajlsdjoi

 **[13:30] Lance:** ok so I got my phone back

 **[13:31] Lance:** so not fair

 **[13:35]** _ **Keith:**_ _meh, you still like me_

 **[13:37] Lance:** truth

 **[13:38] Lance:** omg I scrolled up and you called me sweetheart!

 **[13:38] Lance:** 3 3 3

 **[13:42]** _ **Keith:**_ _Well you are_

 **[13:44] Lance:** 3

 **[13:45] Lance:** so when you out? when should I picfk you up?

 **[13:45] Lance:** Hunk needs to have times because he wants to have food ready for you

 **[13:48]** _ **Keith:**_ _you're the one that stalks my schedule_

 **[13:50] Lance:** well yeah, but I don't know if u have to do like teacher stuff

 **[13:55]** _ **Keith:**_ _planned on leaving in a few...have to feed Red before we leave_

 **[13:58] Lance:** ok. How bout 3?

 **[14:01]** _ **Keith:**_ _perfect. See u soon 3_

 **[14:02] Lance:** 3 3 3

* * *

Keith rushed home after that marathon text session with Lance, feeling a warmth in his heart that he'd never felt before when texting any of the dating app guys. Maybe it was the silliness. None of those guys had ever joked and teased. None of them had inspired him to joke and tease, but Lance apparently brought out the best in him.

This did not surprise him. It had been only two days before when Keith met Lance. Their spark and their chemistry was mind-blowing to him. Sunday was an amazing day, but Monday proved to Keith that it wasn't a fluke. He hadn't been able to sleep Sunday night. He lay awake thinking about Lance for hours. The way he smiled, the way his eyes danced, his curiosity, how easy he was to talk to, how expressive his face and hands were when he talked. Lance was beautiful, but it was so much more than physical beauty. The intelligence, humor, kindness, and generous heart shone through in everything the man said and did. Keith couldn't believe that he had only met Lance that day. He invaded every corner of Keith's brain and Keith had never felt such a connection so quickly with someone.

Keith had been so nervous on Monday night. His concentration while teaching his classes that day was nil. He felt a twinge of guilt towards his students. They paid for his time, but there was no way he could pull his thoughts away from the day before.

The thought of the upcoming evening, however, was completely stressing him out. Keith didn't want to screw this up. No one had ever seemed this promising before. He kept telling himself that Lance was the one that initiated things. Lance was the one who had noticed him weeks before and wanted to ask him out. And did, after spending a good part of the day together.

Damn, Lance was just so cute. Wanting to make him mac and cheese and show him his shark videos? Keith's heart was just gone.

In spite of his wrecked nerves, Keith had an amazing time. He was impressed with himself that he showed no trace of anxiety during their date. He put an effort into being smooth, and was surprised at how easily some of the things he said came to him. It certainly seemed to fluster Lance, which, to Keith, was a beautiful thing to see. Keith had never flustered anyone. He'd frustrated guys before, by not jumping into bed with them, but he'd never caused someone to blush as much as Lance did, stutter and search for words as much as Lance did, fidget with his hands as much as Lance did. It was awesome to him to have such an effect on anyone, especially someone as hot as Lance.

In spite of both of them being nervous, the date was as successful as a date could be. Keith had fun; he learned a lot more about Lance - stuff that made him fall even harder for the guy. And, oh gods, when they finally started kissing. It was perfect and sweet and hot. He'd never been that forward before; never let himself go like that. Keith also had no idea where he found the control to leave. Lance certainly tempted him to let himself completely go and spend the night with him.

He shook his head at those thoughts as he let himself into his apartment, smiling down at the fluffy ball of fur waiting not so patiently for him. Red stood, stretched, and turned his back to Keith, showing his minion his disdain. Keith chuckled as he shut the door then squatted down next to Red, letting his messenger bag fall onto the floor. "Hey buddy," he said quietly, rubbing his hand gently down the cat's back with a scratching finish above his tail. "Sorry if it seems I'm abandoning you. I don't mean to, but I met this amazing guy. You remember Lance, right?"

Red meowed, then settled into a purr, which Keith took as an affirmative. "I'm going out with him tonight, but I promise I'll have Lance over tomorrow and we can both give you all the attention you deserve."

Red seemed to agree and Keith straightened up so that he could go into the kitchen to get Red his dinner. Before he could even clean the bowls, he heard a knock on his door. He figured it was Lance, so he just yelled, "Come in!"

"Come in? What if I was a serial killer, KEITH!" Lance reprimanded him when he opened the door.

"I'd drop kick you pretty fast, I guess," Keith said with a little shrug as he scrubbed out Red's food bowl.

"Not if I had a knife or a gun," Lance protested as he came into the kitchen area and gave Keith a kiss on his cheek. Gods if that didn't feel good, domestic, and homey to Keith.

Keith turned his head, giving Lance a big grin. "I think I'm safe," he said before Lance gave him a proper kiss. "Can you grab some food for Red?"

"Sure!" Lance said, moving to the correct cupboard and opening it to retrieve one of the cans. "Does he need dry food too?"

"Yeah, it's in that cabinet in a bin," Keith said as he lifted his leg and pointed his toe at the cabinet in question since his hands were busy drying the bowl. He put that bowl on the counter and went to wash the other. "You can put dry food in that clean one."

"Will do!" Lance grabbed the bowl and bent down to the cabinet in order to fill the bowl. Red, sensing dinner was near, came over to supervise.

"Hey gorgeous!" Lance cooed at him. Red rubbed his body against him as Lance used the scooper in the bin to fill the bowl, then fastened the bin firmly. "Here you go, handsome," he said as he pivoted his body, still squatting, to place the bowl in its' normal spot. Red just gave him a disappointed look as if dry food were beneath him. Lance chuckled, running a hand over the fluffy back and ending with a scratch above Red's tail. Keith watched, smiling, as Lance unknowingly petted Red exactly the way he did earlier.

"Here, before he begins his starving cat routine," Keith said, handing Lance the other now-clean bowl. Lance stood up and turned to the counter to fill the bowl.

"Alright, you're fed now, you fearsome beast," Lance murmured to Red as he set the wet food down next to the dry.

Red flicked his tail slightly in acknowledgment to Lance before settling down to his meal.

"Such gratitude," Lance laughed, sitting back on his heels and spreading out his arms dramatically. "Tossed aside once the food is down." He grinned up from the floor at Keith, who just laughed at him and held his hand out.

Lance accepted the help and stood back up once again. He now wore a sly smile as he let go of Keith's hand so he could slide his arms around Keith's sides to rest his hands on the counter, essentially trapping Keith. "Hey there," Keith said, returning the smile.

"Hey," Lance breathed, leaning closer, but not quite connecting lips yet. He just stayed close, looking Keith in the eyes. When Keith tilted his head a little forward for that kiss, Lance leaned back a little, avoiding him.

"What are you doing?"

"Gazing at my gorgeous boyfriend," Lance answered.

Keith reached up to press his palm against Lance's face and shove him half-heartedly. "Gods why did I have to fall for such a dork?" he asked over Lance's laughter. Then he felt a warm wetness against his palm and he jerked his hand away. "Did you seriously LICK me?"

"All's fair…" Lance murmured and finally pressed his lips against Keith's indignant ones even as he still giggled.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for Keith's attitude to turn from 'oh gross' to 'oh shit' as he melted into the kiss. He could honestly feel it when Lance went from playful kiss to something more serious. His hands came up to tangle his fingers in Lance's hair as he kissed back with all he had, getting a pleased hum from Lance.

"We don't want to be late for Hunk and Shay," Lance murmured when he pulled away a few minutes later, leaving Keith dazed.

Keith blinked a few times, getting his mind into focus again and trying to calm down the effect Lance had on him. "Uh, yeah. Definitely not," he gasped.

* * *

"Did something die in here?" Keith asked, wrinkling his nose as he closed the door of Lance's ancient blue car.

"NO! Nothing is DEAD in here. You're as bad as Hunk!"

Keith laughed. "Oh really? Hunk told you something was dead in here?"

"Yes. I keep Bunny CLEAN."

"Then what is that ungodly smell? And do you seriously call your car Bunny?"

"It smells like flowers and sunshine in here!" Lance insisted. "Or at least like Lilac Blossoms," he said, poking at the air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror. "And yes. When I got my baby, I almost hit a bunny with her, but I slammed on the brakes and almost drove off the road. I THOUGHT the name appropriate, since I had just saved a bunny's life."

"O…K…." Keith said, drawing out the syllables. "That's sweet. But I think you need to clean this car."

"Just buckle up, baby, and enjoy the ride," Lance grumbled, which just got Keith to laugh. "Hunk doesn't live too far."

"Can we stop at the wine store on Emmett?"

"Of course!"

* * *

"So, Hunk is, like, a genius. But he's not an in-your-face kind of genius. He never makes you feel stupid, you know? Like he knows everything there is to know, but he's really humble about it," Lance explained during the short drive to Hunk and Shay's apartment, after a stop at the wine store that Keith requested. "Shay is also the nicest person in the world. I always thought Hunk was, but then I met Shay. You've never met two people more perfect for each other."

"So you told me Hunk's going to grad school too? What does Shay do?"

"She's a kindergarten teacher," Lance said, signaling to turn onto the next street. "And you'll understand when you meet her. You'll know that she couldn't by ANYthing other than a teacher of impressionable children."

Keith chuckled. He did feel a little nervous about this meeting. He still felt nervous to be with Lance. This was only their third time hanging out together and technically their second date, though Keith wondered if they were counting this as a date. They should probably discuss that at some point, as they were now counting the official dates down to the tenth.

That thought made Keith's breath catch. He wasn't prepared to want to go all the way with anyone, and then suddenly Lance was in his life and now it was all he wanted. It was a major shift in his mind to know that he'd finally met the one person he could see himself get close to – could see himself with in not only a romantic way, but a sexual way. No one had ever brought the vague thoughts closer to reality than Lance had. Sure, he'd had crushes on guys he'd known and had less than pure thoughts about them, but he never took it seriously. He knew, just knew, that Lance was the one.

It wasn't so much that Keith was nervous about the actual act and the actual physical part. He wasn't completely ignorant of everything involved, but he needed that deep emotional connection with someone to even consider it, and to know that Lance struck that chord within him so quickly sent his head into a confused mess of emotions. He always thought he'd be ready after a long courtship. With Lance, however, it felt they were already past the long courtship stage and were to the part where they were comfortable and in sync with each other.

After only three days.

How was that even possible? How could he feel like this about someone who was nearly a stranger to him? Yet, he knew more about Lance from the two days they spent together than he'd known about most of his dates all put together. Lance opened up to him in an honest way that led Keith to believe they knew each other on a deeper level. Deeper than he'd ever connected with anyone. Somehow, Lance was able to get Keith to open up and reveal things to him that Keith had never told anyone.

* * *

"Hey," Lance said, breaking into his thoughts. "You ok?"

Keith turned his head to look at Lance, who was looking at him with concern, though his eyes kept darting back to the traffic in front of him.

"Yeah. Yeah. Just. I guess I'm a little nervous."

"Why nervous?"

"I know how important Hunk is to you. I want him to like me. I just," Keith struggled with the words he wanted to use. He drew in a deep breath, "What if he doesn't like me?" he blurted out in a rush. "I'm worried you'll end up hating me if he does."

"Keith," Lance said, offering him a smile. "Hunk already likes you. Trust me. You definitely impressed him by your texting today. And I've told him all I know about you, and he's really looking forward to meeting you in person. I've known Hunk for years and I know the type of people he likes. You totally fit the bill. You're nice and funny. That's all Hunk needs to like someone."

"Still…"

"No, there's no still. And there's no way I could hate you, no matter what, ok?" He let go of the steering wheel and reached for Keith's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "So don't be nervous, ok? Hunk's the one who's nervous," he added with a laugh. "He knows you're an awesome cook, so he's scared that you'll judge him pretty harsh. He wouldn't listen to me when I told him a MILLION times that you're like the nicest guy in the world after him and wouldn't do that."

Keith laughed, letting Lance's touch and light banter soothe him. "No, I definitely wouldn't judge harshly."

"You couldn't anyway, because Hunk is just that good," Lance stated. "And I don't know why you and Hunk are the nervous ones. I should be the nervous one. My best friend and my boyfriend are meeting. If THAT isn't stressful, I don't know what is."

Lance slowed the car and let go of Keith's hand to turn into the parking lot of a nice apartment complex of townhomes. "We're here. Hunk and Shay are toward the back," he said, navigating through the rows of cars to the visiting spaces where he found an empty spot to park.

"I'm surprised this car was able to make it this far," Keith teased, grinning at the dirty look Lance shot him.

"Don't make fun of Bunny!" he cried, patting the dashboard. "Don't listen to him, baby. He just doesn't understand you."

Keith rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing you're so adorable," he said, chuckling again at the blush that bloomed on Lance's cheeks before he opened the door and slid out.

"You're gonna pay for that, Kogane!" Lance yelled, shoving open his own door and getting out with a huff. That just made Keith laugh harder. He retrieved the wine he and Lance had bought as Lance came around the car.

"What are you gonna make me do?" Keith challenged.

"Kiss me," Lance demanded, though it looked like he was struggling to control a grin.

"And that's punishment? I don't think you quite understand the concept of making me pay."

"It's more for me than for you."

"Ah, I see. Well, if it will make you happy…"

"We'll just have to see," Lance said, now allowing the grin to spread across his face.

Keith leaned forward for his punishment and felt Lance's hands come up to cup his face. The way his heart raced and the the way the blood in his body heated up felt like a drug to him. It was like this yesterday and that afternoon when Lance came to his apartment to pick him up. Every time their bodies and mouths came together was…

"Aw, if that isn't the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Lance and Keith broke apart, Lance with a laugh as he turned his head to look at the now open door of his friends' home. Keith followed his gaze, his own cheeks heating up as he recognized Hunk from the pictures that Lance had shown him _. 'Great first impression, Kogane. Sucking face with the guys' best friend. He really is gonna hate me.'_

The pleasant and friendly smile on the tall and well-built guy in the doorway, however, negated that thought right away. Hunk turned and yelled to someone behind him. "Shay? You should see this." He turned back to the blushing pair. "Do that again."

"Uh, NO!" Lance growled at Hunk. A friendly-looking woman appeared at Hunk's side, a wide smile on her face. She was almost as tall as Hunk.

"What am I supposed to see?" she asked.

"NOTHING SHAY!" Lance shouted and Keith couldn't help laughing. Lance's face was fire engine red, and while Keith knew that he himself was blushing, he enjoyed Lance's obvious discomfort at being caught in a semi-compromising position by his best friend. Keith also had a suspicion that Hunk, as well as Shay, were going to tease the heck out of Lance about it, which just made Keith like the pair even more – and he still hadn't been officially introduced.

Keith and Lance walked up the little sidewalk to Hunk and Shay's apartment, and the couple stepped back to allow the young men inside. In spite of the teasing, Lance gave a hug to Hunk and to Shay. Keith was surprised when first Hunk, then Shay also hugged him. Hunk's hug felt like being engulfed by a warm marshmallow. He felt safe, as if nothing bad could ever happen to him with Hunk in his life. Shay's embrace was sweet and finished with a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at Keith.

"It is so nice to meet you, Keith. Lance has told us all about you! Welcome to our home," she said, hooking her arm through Keith's and leading him through the small hallway to the kitchen. He could hear Lance behind him grumbling to Hunk about being teased.

"Thank you for letting me come. I know Lance sort of forced my invite," he said apologetically.

"Oh don't think about it like that," she said with a little laugh. "Lance is our family, so he doesn't have to ask to bring anyone here. But we're so glad he did! We've never seen him this head over heels about anyone!"

Keith glanced at Lance as they paused in the kitchen. The smell there was heavenly. Whatever it was that Hunk had made definitely made Keith's mouth water. "Shay!" Lance whined. "Don't tell ALL my innermost secrets!"

"I don't think it's much of a secret that you like Keith, buddy," Hunk said. "I mean, unless you make a habit of locking lips with people you don't like in parking lots."

"Or in your apartment," Keith added, getting a laugh from Hunk and Shay. "Or my apartment. Or at the wine store."

"Oh I like him, Lance!" Shay exclaimed, her arm still hooked with Keith's. "We're keeping him!"

"You bet your buns we're keeping him," Lance huffed.

Hunk bustled over to the stove, "I hope you like salmon, Keith."

"I love it!"

"Hunk is a magician with fish," Lance said, leaning against the counter while Shay accepted the wine bottle from Keith, murmuring that she would chill it before dinner.

"Oh I do alright," Hunk said humbly. "I also made some appetizers," he added, turning around with a beautiful plated tray of goodies. Keith was amazed to see they were all handmade and intricate. Hunk spent time on these, he could tell. There were three different delicacies on the tray and Keith grabbed one. "That's a crab cake bite," Hunk told him.

"Thank you!" Keith said, then bit into it, holding his other hand up under his chin to catch the crumbs. "Wow this is delicious!"

Lance beamed. "I helped!"

Keith's eyes turned to him, "Really? Why do I not believe that?"

"I did!" Lance insisted.

"He really did," Hunk said generously as he placed the tray on the cupboard near Keith. "Be sure to help yourself! Yeah lance helped get the crab meat out and he put the cakes into the pan, so he did help a little."

Lance sniffed. "I helped a LOT Hunk."

"You certainly kept me entertained while I worked."

Keith tried the other items on the plate and raved about each of them. "Lance wasn't kidding when he said you were an amazing cook. Is there any chance you'd share your recipes?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Hunk said with a grin. "Only if you share yours. Lance said the pulled pork you made the other night was off the charts."

"Sure. It's one of my favorite things to make."

They chatted in the kitchen for a few minutes. Hunk was too, though he was more concentrated on getting the dinner ready. He finally shooed them all out of the kitchen area into the dining area so that he could finish up without them in the way.

The apartment was pleasant, at least what Keith could see of it. Not very large, but Keith supposed that Hunk and Shay didn't need much space. The living room and dining room combination flowed into the kitchen – it was perfect for entertaining. Stairs led up into the upper floor of the townhome and the place was tastefully decorated.

"I've been here for a year already," Shay explained. "I grabbed this place when it became available, even though Hunk was still in San Diego. We planned to move in together when he came back, and I figured we'd look for a place when he did. However, one of my fellow teachers lived here. When he got married and bought a house, he let me know this would be available, so I jumped on it." She smiled as she gestured for Keith and Lance to take a seat at the table.

"It's a beautiful place," Keith complimented her and she just glowed with the praise. "You have nice taste."

"Thank you, Keith," Shay said pleasantly. "I know it's not as…colorful…as Lance likes to make his place, but…"

Lance protested with a mild "Hey!" as he held Keith's chair for him. Keith smiled at the sweet gesture and sat down. Lance patted him on the head with a grin, then took the chair next to his boyfriend.

"Lance certainly has an interesting place," he said.

"When he and Hunk lived together, it didn't look much different," Shay said. "I just had to rescue Hunk from that nightmare."

"Shay!"

"Oh I don't think his apartment is that bad. It's colorful and vibrant. Just like his personality," Keith objected.

Lance beamed at him, "Aw thanks Keith! See, Shay? I have TASTE!"

"He is actually pretty creative. I thought that when I was over last night," Keith said.

"Keith, I know that you have to say nice things about Lance because you just started dating, so I'll give you a pass on that."

Keith chuckled as he firmly laced his fingers with Lance's hand, drawing it onto his thigh. He could tell that Shay was teasing, and that this was probably an ongoing thing between them. "I really do think that."

"Keith's an art teacher, Shay. An ART teacher. He KNOWS creative," Lance said with an offended huff. "I trust HIS judgment!"

To end this little back and forth, Keith asked, "So you knew Hunk and Lance back in high school?" to Shay.

"I did. I met them when I was a sophomore and they were freshmen. I was a year ahead of Hunk. We met about second semester. I mean, I had seen this cute guy in the halls of course, but didn't know anything about him. Then suddenly he showed up at the Robotics Club meeting and we hit if off right away."

"You were in the Robotics Club?"

"Yeah. It was such a fun club to be a part of. I'd always been interested in taking things apart and putting them together. I actually thought about Engineering as a career, like Hunk. But I just had to be a teacher. Anyway, I was interested right away in Hunk. He was the nicest guy I'd ever met. It took him a long time to respond, however."

"Ages, Keith, ages. That poor cinnamon roll thought there was no way someone as sweet and nice as Shay could ever like him. Can you believe that? Tell me Hunk isn't the most lovable soul you've ever met," Lance demanded.

"He does seem quite lovable," Keith agreed.

"Lance did help move things along," Shay agreed. "He's a big reason why we got together, though it took Hunk forever. I was a senior when he finally got the guts to do it. Looking back, I probably should have taken the initiative, but I wanted to see how long it would take him. I KNEW he liked me. We hung out together all the time, but it got to the point that it was more like a game."

"I FINALLY convinced him. I told him that all the time that Shay would say yes, but that poor soul was so insecure. I had to sit him down one day and explain to him that Shay spends every weekend and almost every evening with us. She puts her hand on your arm, she laughs at everything you say, she does so many nice things for you. You must ask her out, or I'm going to do it for you."

"Such a persuasion artist. I take it your threat worked?" Keith asked.

"Of course it did. Poor Hunk was so nervous, but he did it and of course she said yes. How could anyone turn Hunk down?"

"They couldn't," Shay said. "I was so happy when he finally did. Our first date wasn't awkward at all, since we were essentially best friends already. Well, not as 'best friendly' as Hunk and Lance are, but close. I learned right away that they would be a package deal. If I wanted Hunk, I had to have Lance as well. I've never seen such a strong friendship."

"I do kind of envy it," Keith said, glancing at Lance. "I'm close to my best friend, but not like it looks like their friendship is."

"They are something special alright."

"Lance mentioned you were a teacher. That has to be pretty rewarding, especially with little kids like that," Keith said.

"Yes and no. I mean, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want to do anything else for a career. I love my kids. It is rewarding to a point. Not so much when you're separating two kids who are fighting over their snack while trying to clean up the results of an upset tummy from one of the girls. Such was my day today."

Keith chuckled. "Yeah. I don't usually have that sort of problem with my students. The most I deal with is whiny kids who want extra credit assignments because they couldn't be bothered to fully complete their regular assignments. I've thought about teaching art in elementary schools, but I do like the college classes I teach."

They chatted a few minutes about Keith's classes and then moved on to questions about his home. Shay directed questions in a way that put Keith completely at ease. He found Shay extremely easy to talk to – she was just so friendly that Keith felt at ease right from the beginning. Lance jumped up to help Hunk, who had waved to get his friends' attention, in the kitchen. Shay followed Lance to retrieve the wine. In a few minutes, Lance and Hunk came in, carrying platters and bowls. Keith honestly felt like he was at a fancy restaurant. Hunk had plated everything beautifully, so not only did it smell mouth-watering, but also the food looked it. It wasn't quite the Roman banquet Lance had said it would be, but it was a lot of food that required two trips to and from the kitchen.

"This looks just wonderful, Hunk," Keith praised the blushing chef, who looked humbly down as he seated himself next to Shay, who had returned to her seat and was pouring out the wine. "I have no idea where to start!"

"Just dig in," Hunk invited. And they all did.

* * *

"Alright," Keith said as he sat back, belly full, in his chair and shot a quick side-glance at Lance, "I know there's got to be a ton of embarrassing Lance stories you can tell me." He pushed his plate back, a little embarrassed that he had filled it three times and ate all of that food. Hunk had outdone himself, and Keith indulged as much as he could. The four chatted, allowing Hunk and Shay to get to know the young man with whom their closest friend had become involved. Keith got to know them better and fell in love with the pair. Lance had been right; there wasn't a nicer couple in the universe.

"A ton is an understatement," Hunk said, ignoring Lance's squawk of protest.

"Honestly, where can we even start?" Shay asked, looking at Hunk with a perplexed expression.

"I mean," Hunk said, returning her look, "There's everything from high school…"

"And everything from college."

"Both Altea U and down in San Diego."

"Oh and all the things from that trip we took up to San Francisco."

"I really feel like I should write a book or something."

"Oh wow, do I feel the love," Lance sulked while Keith outright laughed.

Hunk's eyes moved back to Keith's laughing face, "The guy just invites disaster. It's actually quite breathtaking when you think about it."

"Traitor!" Lance cried. "Why did I think it was a good idea to introduce you to my boyfriend?"

"Because you love me, doofus," Hunk retorted, trying to look mad but completely failing.

"Yeah, so?"

"So nothing. It's not MY fault that the most bizarre things happen to you."

"Oh tell Keith about the crazy woman in the Target," Shay urged. "That's one of my favorites."

"That was totally NOT my fault," Lance said. "She was the crazy one."

"Somehow you attract the crazy ones," Hunk said.

"Hey!" Keith piped up, attempting an offended expression.

"No offense!" Hunk hastened to say, looking contrite. "I mean, yeah, the jury's still out on you. I don't THINK you're crazy, but I'm still not sure. You do like Lance, so…evidence."

Shay smacked the back of her hand against Hunk's upper arm. "Don't be mean," she said in what Keith imagined was a threatening voice for her.

"I'm just saying, sweetie," Hunk shrugged. "Anyway," he continued, turning his attention back to Keith, who was watching with amused eyes. "Lance was at Target, just going up and down the aisles, singing along to the muzak, and he kept passing this old lady pushing a cart."

"I didn't THINK anything was strange. How many times do you pass someone when wandering the aisles?" Lance asked, his arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair looking sulky.

"All the time?" Keith asked.

"Exactly."

Hunk laughed, "Apparently not this old lady. She stopped Lance after passing him a dozen times and started screeching at him in the middle of Target."

"What!?" Keith exclaimed. "Why!?"

"She kept yelling at me that I was an undercover cop!" Lance burst out. "She yelled at me that she was an honest old lady who never stole anything in her life and that I was an AWFUL cop to try and catch her shoplifting!"

Shay and Hunk were laughing and Keith couldn't help but join in, because the mental image of Lance being upbraided by some bent over old lady in a Target was too much. "What did you do?" he asked.

"Only thing I could think of! I ran away and hid in automotive until I figured she was gone!"

"Oh my gosh, that is hilarious!"

"It wasn't funny! She was SCREAMING at me! I was SO embarrassed!"

"How about the time Lance dressed as Cupid to deliver a Valentine card to that boy in his Anthro class?" Shay asked.

"He used my bed sheet to make that awful toga that kept slipping off?"

"And those wings! They were so sad looking!"

"Or the time Lance pretended he knew how to roller skate and broke his arm trying to impress that kid back in high school?"

"Or the time Lance paid Heather Mackelroy to fake date him to make Kyle Thompson jealous?"

"Or that time Lance forgot about the date he made with that guy from his English class and the guy showed up at our dorm room dressed all nice and Lance was asleep on top of his books?"

"Oh or that time that Lance pulled that prank on Principle Metcalf and was caught in his office and had to hide in the supply closet until after school was out?"

"Or that time that girl in San Francisco thought he was flirting with her and she wouldn't leave him alone the entire weekend?"

"My personal favorite," Hunk said, placing his palm against his chest, "is when his brother, Luis, hid that snake in his room." Shay started laughing and Lance tried to protest. "You're gonna die at this, Keith. His Mamá watched a couple of neighbors' kids during the day and Lance came home after school. He's terrified of snakes. Luis had caught a little one and hid it in Lance's bedroom. Lance had gone in to change after school and apparently the snake didn't decide to show itself until Lance had stripped down to his underwear. Or rather, his thong." Keith winced, hiding his face in his hands.

"It was a phase! And they were cool!" Lance grumbled.

"Thongs are NOT cool," Keith insisted. "Please tell me you don't wear them anymore…"

"That's for YOU to find out!" Lance huffed, crossing his arms and pouting.

"Maybe I should change this thing to the hundredth date?" Keith mused.

"I'll have you know that you would love to see my ass in a thong."

"ANYWAY!" Hunk interjected before Lance could give them any more mental images, "Lance saw the snake, screamed, and bolted out of his room."

"In just the thong?" Keith asked.

"In just the thong," Hunk affirmed.

"Not only that, one of the neighbor ladies was picking up her two children at that exact moment when Lance ran screaming into the living room. In just the thong," Shay said.

"His Mamá was SO mad," Hunk finished the story. "It took her forever to convince her friend that the house wasn't a home of degenerate madmen. Though Luis did get in trouble for his part in the incident."

Keith doubled over laughing, holding his arms over his stomach, though he felt almost slightly guilty. He didn't want to hurt his new boyfriend. Technically, they were only officially boyfriends for a few hours, and Keith didn't want that to end before even the first day was over. Lance was red-faced and looked completely embarrassed and Keith felt sympathy for him, but he also wanted to hear more about these incidents in his life.

"We should stop, Hunk," Shay said finally, smiling at Lance, who just returned her look with a glare. "We don't want to scare Keith away."

Keith's laugh trickled off, though his eyes were still dancing with amusement as he looked at Lance. He lay a hand on Lance's thigh, which only served to make Lance turn even redder. "A few embarrassing stories aren't going to chase me away," he said softly, turning a loving glance to his boyfriend, who relaxed out of his angry posture a little. "I like him too much."

* * *

Keith let out a happy sigh. They were in the car and pulling into their apartment building's parking lot. The rest of the evening had gone so well. Hunk had presented them a delicious tart as a dessert. Lance and Keith had insisted on cleaning up. They had to shout down Hunk and Shay's protests. Then they settled in the living room and talked for hours. Keith found out even more stories about Lance – these ones mostly of his and Hunk's adventures. Some with Shay, some without. Keith actually felt a small pang for having missed so much of Lance's life.

"Did you have fun?" Lance asked, his voice betraying his nerves.

"I had a wonderful time. Hunk and Shay are amazing, just like you said."

"I'm so glad you like them. I can tell they like you," Lance said as he turned off the car. "Shay said they absolutely loved you and are so happy we got together."

Keith made no move to get out. He leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. "I'm so relieved. I didn't know what I'd do if they didn't like me," he admitted. He thought for a moment in the silence – an uncharacteristic silence as he was beginning to understand. Lance generally liked to fill silent spaces with chatter. When he opened his eyes and turned his head to look over at Lance, he found that Lance had been watching him with a curious expression.

"It's that important to you?" Lance asked.

Keith nodded, reaching his hand over to interlace their fingers. "It is. Like I said earlier, I know how important Hunk and Shay are to you. And I get it. They're really awesome people. Everything you said about them is true." He was quiet for a moment, then added in a soft voice, "You're becoming important to me, too. So I want the important people in your life to like me. I want a spot in your life. I want to be important too."

"You are, Keith," Lance said. "You have a place in my life. I don't know how or why. It…it doesn't really make sense to me. This connection I feel for you. It's really fast. And I like that," he hastened to add. "It's just so new to me. I've never felt like this for anyone and I've only known you for a few days."

Keith smiled, "I feel the same. It's so hard for me to believe that this is happening. But I feel so good about this. I feel so good about you. Meeting Hunk, and Shay, I just feel like this is real now. I've felt like I've been in this dream for the last few days. Now I know these awesome people and, like I feel with you, I feel like I've known them all my life. I know it's not just a dream."

"It's not a dream, Keith. I'm real, with all my faults, my annoying habits, my obnoxious ways. Maybe I'm more of a nightmare…"

Keith twisted his body so that he could bring his free hand up to cup Lance's face, "No, don't say that. You're NOT a nightmare. You're everything I could ever ask for. You ARE a dream to me, Lance. One that I can't believe is coming true."

Lance was the one to lunge for him, bringing their lips together in a forceful and messy crash, but soon moved into the easy rhythm they had discovered the evening before. Their positions were awkward with the center console in the way, but neither of them cared. They both concentrated on the taste and heat of each other and on how perfect they fit together and moved together.

* * *

"Should we count this as a date," Keith asked at his door.

Lance hummed as he clung to Keith's hand in a way that showed he didn't want to let his boyfriend go. "A date is usually considered a one on one outing. I don't know if hanging out with friends is considered a date," he reasoned. "I guess I wouldn't consider it one."

Keith slipped his free hand around Lance's waist, pulling him close. "That's unfortunate," he murmured, his lips just centimeters from his boyfriends'.

"It is?"

"Mhm. If it were a date, we'd be one more closer to the tenth date," Keith whispered, then smothered a laugh when he saw the regret in Lance's expression.

"Shit," he hissed, which did make Keith laugh. "Can I change my answer?"

"Mm, no, I don't think so," Keith said, getting a pout from Lance. "How about I take you out this weekend for date number two?"

"There's plenty of days between now and Saturday that we can fill with dates," Lance pointed out eagerly. "That could be, like, date four or five? Gets us even closer to the magic number."

Keith kissed him on the side of the mouth then trailed kisses up Lance's jaw until he was closer to his ear. "As much as I want you," he breathed, which made Lance shiver. "I want you to meet Shiro and Pidge first, before we do anything."

Lance leaned back, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "You want their approval?"

Keith shook his head. "No. I don't need their approval. If I don't get it, I still want to be with you. In every way possible. But they are the most important people in my life, and I want them to meet the other most important person in my life."

Lance smiled then and leaned down for a brief kiss. "And I want to meet them," he said. Then his smile turned into something more wicked. "But don't drag this out Kogane. I'm willing to wait for the tenth date, but I don't think I can wait if you tell me we aren't gonna see them until Christmas or something like that."

Keith laughed, "If you think I'm going to wait six months, you're crazy. I've waited for you for twenty-four years; I'm not waiting another six months. No, once school's out, I plan to go home for a while. I'm hoping you'd like to come with me."

"Road trip?" Lance asked, his eyes lighting up. "I'm down for that!"

"Yes, road trip. And maybe, just maybe, if you think they will, we can ask Hunk and Shay. Something tells me Hunk and Pidge will get along great."

"Babe, that's an awesome idea!" Lance cried, obviously caught up with the plan and missing Keith's eyebrow raise at the term of endearment. "I'll call Hunk right away and find out when Shay's school is done! Hopefully soon! In the meantime, we can make all sorts of plans! When is school out for you?"

"A couple of weeks, eager beaver," Keith teased.

"Can we at least do a few dates in your hometown? I want to see all the places you love back home!"

"Of course, of course. See what Hunk and Shay have to say and we can make plans then."

Lance smacked a kiss on Keith's cheek. "Ok! I'm gonna go call Hunk now!" The young man spun away from Keith and made it halfway to his own door before turning back around and dashing back to Keith. "I can't say goodnight without a proper kiss," he said, grinning. He grabbed Keith's hands and pulled him closer. "Goodnight sweetheart," he murmured before kissing Keith in a way that made Keith weak and almost invite Lance in for the night. _'Nine more dates,_ ' he sternly told himself, even as Lance slid his arms around Keith's waist.

When he was finally able to pull a little away, Keith gave Lance a mock-frown. "You can't tempt me like this, McClain."

"It's what I live for Kogane. I'm not gonna make this wait easy on you," Lance replied wickedly, a smile on his face that indicated how pleased with himself he was. "Have a good time trying to fall asleep tonight."

Keith's pout turned into a sly grin as Lance tried to step away, only to be dragged back for one more kiss. Only this time, Keith's hands held firmly to Lance's hips. As Keith deepened the kiss, he let his hands slide to the small of Lance's back and then traveled further down. As his hands gripped Lance's cheeks, Lance let out a muffled whimper. Keith squeezed slightly as he pulled his mouth away. "You have fun trying to fall asleep," he shot back before letting go.

"You're gonna pay for that," Lance threatened.

Keith let himself into his apartment. "Oh? Like earlier? Can you punish me tomorrow?" he asked cheekily.

"Oh I'll punish you alright. Punish you good."

"Nice. If you're free, come over tomorrow. Red misses you."

"I'll be there," Lance promised.


End file.
